Deer & Deer Hunting Forums: White Tail Deer Hunting Forum

Hello Everyone! I'm new to this forum even though I've subscribed to D&DH for about 15 years. I'm planning a trip to IL this fall to hunt the 2nd gun season. I really wanted to hunt the 1st but it didn't work out. Can anybody tell me if the hunting is still decent in the 2nd season? I know, vague question but where I live, 75% of the deer are shot on opening weekend of gun season. Just wanted to know what to expect. Any and all help is appreciated.

Second half of gun season can be VERY good. You don't necessarily see as many deer, but some of the biggest bucks are killed then. Make yourself stay out ALL DAY long, as you are now in the "third" rut, and there's usually a minor spike in estrous doe activity, and big guys are crusin'.

I've lived and hunted in Illinois now for 32 years, and some of the biggest bucks I've killed have been in second half of gun season.

Thank you. I was stillhunting a Bluff that overlooks the Illinois River near Cooperstown, and he was tailing a group of does, at least one of which was "breedy", as I saw her first, and she kept twitching her tail and looking back. 5 seconds later he was right there, about 35 yards away.

where in IL are you hunting? I like 2nd season actually a little better than 1st anyway. Seems like less people in the woods, deer seem to have gotten back into a pattern, and you have one extra day to figure that pattern out.

Well, my fiance bought a really nice gift for me for a guided hunt in Pike Co. It's not the hunt I would have chosen for myself but how can I complain? From the reading I've done, it seems like Pike at this point has been over commercialized and over hunted but again, it's a gift!

I have had as good or better sucess hunting the second season. I have been deer hunting Illinois for almost 30 years, the first buck I ever shot was in the evening about 1 hour before sunset on the last day of the second season. However it all depends on the weather, crops, the rut, pressure, the usual factors.